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I was introduced to both Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Ayurveda in Santa Barbara in 2003 and continue to be grateful for the insights and tools these ancient traditions embody. They have profoundly helped me cultivate a greater sense of balance and vitality in my own life amidst various injuries, health conditions and life’s general demands.
I am particularly drawn to Ayurveda’s emphasis on the uniqueness and beauty of each individual as well as its recognition of our inherent interconnectedness. Together these principles call upon each of us to take responsibility for our own health by slowing down, tuning-in both inward and outward, and finding our unique balance, harmony and purpose in the world.
In 2008, I received my diploma to practice as an Ayurvedic Wellness Consultant through Kerala Ayurveda Academy in the United States and has also completed a clinical internship in Mysore, India. While formal training is essential, much of my learning has come from living these teachings in my daily life. My blog tracks my ongoing insights and experiments in cooking and eating in a way that serves the overall well-being of ourselves and the planet.
I have also been a dedicated practitioner of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga for over ten years and maintain a regular meditation practice. In my successful journey of overcoming a debilitating hip condition (avascular necrosis), I have also continued to explore and incorporate other healing modalities of mindful movement into my practice, including Somatics, Yin Yoga and Qi Gong. I am forever grateful for my teachers and these practices, which have proven the miraculous power of the body to heal itself.
Ultimately, I believe that Ayurveda, Yoga, and other holistic healing methods together encompass universal principles that can be practiced and applied to heal and balance the mind, body and spirit of each individual, every local community, and our planet as a whole.
My husband Mike Hannum and I have been traveling the world learning and teaching the practices of Yoga and Ayurveda for most of our eight lovely years together. Most recently we lived in Dunsborough Western Australia where he was head of yoga and I was head of retreats and events for Samudra, an eco-wellness center. I also worked as a farm-hand on a biodynamic farm.
While it was an amazing experience, we missed our families and our home here in the U.S.  We have come back to live in the beautiful Inland Northwest where we are once again proud to call Spokane, Washington home.
I love working with individuals and groups offering Ayurvedic consultations and cooking and nutrition workshops, and doing whatever I can to help others discover what mindful ways of being and eating nourish them.
Thank you for visiting my site!
May you be well in mind, body and heart.
Erin Hannum